The Tale of the Imprisoned Consort - Chapter 200, I Heard

“Ruo’er…” he called her name gently, his hand trembling as he held her hand hanging by her side. “Don’t cry, don’t cry…” He came to see her not to make her cry.
Mingruo took deep breaths, but something seemed to be stuck in her throat, preventing her from uttering a single word. Slowly, she pushed Duanmu Yun's hand away from her own and whispered, "I'm so sorry, I've brought you to this state. Duanmu, why did you come back?" She could save him once, but could she save him a second time? Those who were enemies of the Emperor, those who threatened the Emperor, those whom the Emperor disliked… none of them existed in this world anymore. Did he really have a death wish to return at this critical juncture?
A flash of pain crossed Duanmu Yun's eyes. If Mingruo refused, he would not touch her again. He would not do anything she rejected. "Ruo'er..." He just called her name, as if that was enough.
You're still so beautiful.
Mingruo listened to his words in a daze, then suddenly turned her back to him: "To you, I am nothing more than an old friend. You should leave."
"He can't hurt me anymore." With these soft words, Duanmu Yun stepped forward and put his arm around Mingruo's shoulder with his only remaining hand.
"You don't need to worry about me anymore."
“I’m not worried about you. I’m just afraid that if you come back, the Emperor will misunderstand me.” Mingruo hardened her heart and pushed Duanmu Yun’s hand away. “You should leave quickly. Shunyuan will be here soon. If he sees me, I won’t be able to explain.”
"You may deceive the world, but you can't fool me. These years have been hard on you." Duanmu Yun smiled slightly, as if all the hurt and hardship had never happened, and they were still the perfect couple under the peach tree that year.
"I'm back, and I'm not leaving again. I only came to see you because I missed you." But one day, he would return openly and take her away. No one in the world knew better than him how soft-hearted and kind his Ruo'er was. For her to say such heartless words, her heart must have been aching far more than his.
"I...I'm leaving now, don't worry about me anymore."
He gently loosened his arms around her, seemingly with a deep reluctance. Mingruo didn't turn around; she knew he was gone.
It's good that they're gone, it's good that they're gone.
Parting from you is better than meeting you again.
She sat down on the ground, utterly dejected, her black hair falling loose. She covered her face with her hands, afraid to shed a tear, lest she reveal something when Shun Yuan and Emperor Xu Li returned. Why did he come back? Why did he come back? To die? If Father Emperor found out, he would be dead for sure, you know that?
Let go of your feelings for her. She can't be with him anymore. She has Shun Yuan, so she can't leave her father. She's destined to be trapped in this deep palace until she dies of old age; there's no other way. Mingruo sat on the ground, lost in thought, unwilling to think about Duanmu Yun anymore. She knew in her heart that she and he were no longer connected, yet she couldn't help but worry about him. This feeling left her at a loss. Mingruo didn't know what Duanmu Yun was going to do, but judging from his tone, it must be something very important. She truly didn't want to see him do these crazy things for her, yet she was powerless to stop him. How could she tell him so that he would understand?
She will never leave Emperor Xuli again, never.
Just as Mingruo was in a daze, the beaded curtain was lifted, and Shunyuan skipped in. When he saw his mother sitting on the ground, he immediately sat down and threw himself into Mingruo's arms, pouting, "Mother, Mother, what are you doing sitting on the ground?"
When facing her son, she never showed any unusual expression: "I'm sitting on the ground, wondering if Shun Yuan can see me at a glance?" She gently stroked her son's high nose and pinched his chubby little face. Looking at his face, she felt that spending her whole life in the deep palace wouldn't be so bad. She had her father, the Emperor, and Shun Yuan; what more could she ask for?
"Of course, I can see Mother Consort anywhere at a glance!" The young boy proudly raised his chin and nestled into Mingruo's arms with a giggle.
"Mother, do you know what? I met a strange concubine today!"
"Strange concubines?" Mingruo was surprised. Shunyuan was very averse to the concubines in the harem. He always thought that those people harbored ill intentions towards Emperor Xuli and would harm Mingruo. So it was better not to see them at all; if he did see them, he would definitely make a scene. In nine years, she had never heard the little guy give any concubine a positive evaluation.
"What's strange about it?"
"Hmm..." He stroked his chin, thinking about it seriously.
"I think that concubine looks a bit like my mother, but my mother is much prettier. Besides, she lives in the Cold Palace, so my father must not like her and she can't threaten my mother."
Upon hearing this, Mingruo gasped. Could it be...? Afraid that Shunyuan would notice something, she quickly smiled and pulled him up, saying, "Alright, alright, are you hungry? How about having dinner with your mother first?"
It's Mother, it must be Mother… Mingruo held Shunyuan's little hand, called for someone to bring the meal, and then sat down at the table, lost in thought. She hadn't seen her mother in all these years, and Granny Duan seemed to have vanished without a trace. Emperor Xuli didn't like her being close to anyone other than him, so she didn't disobey him. Actually, not seeing her was fine; if she didn't miss her, her heart wouldn't ache. Besides, she was too cowardly to face the disappointed looks of her mother and Granny Duan. They loved and doted on her so much, yet she had ended up in such an awkward position. Sharing a husband with her mother… it was utterly absurd and laughable! How could she? How could she go see her mother and Granny Duan?
"Shun Yuan, be good. When you see this concubine in the future, spend more time with her, okay?"
Shun Yuan nodded, and just then the palace maids began serving the meal. The little guy picked up a piece of pastry and held it to Ming Ruo's lips: "I played there this afternoon~ This concubine is very nice, and she told me a lot of stories. By the way, Mother Consort, I used to have an older sister!"
Mingruo was taken aback. Seeing her expression, Shunyuan assumed she wanted to hear more, and began to chatter on: "What's her daughter's name... Mingruo, she's Father's fourth daughter. I heard she's not as pretty as her other older sisters~ But she married the best! Mother, is that General Duanmu Yun really as powerful as everyone says? Why do Eunuch An and this concubine both speak so highly of him? If he's really a good person, why did he kill my third brother? If he's really that powerful, why did he suffer so many defeats in battles? And how did he end up colluding with martial arts practitioners to escape from the imperial prison? But there are still a few things I don't understand... He's gone, but what about my fourth sister? Is she really dead? I always feel the rumors aren't very credible... But that's what that concubine said~"
With each word he spoke, Mingruo felt as if her heart was being stabbed. She could never let Shunyuan know the truth. She couldn't imagine what would happen if her precious child knew; her heart would break.
"Alright, eat your meal obediently. It's all in the past, there's nothing to talk about. Your father will be back soon, and he'll teach you martial arts later."
Upon hearing that he was going to practice martial arts, the young boy became excited, his face covered in rice grains. Mingruo smiled and wiped them off for him, but her heart was heavy.
When Emperor Xuli returned, Shunyuan had only eaten half of his meal. He saw Emperor Xuli merely waving his chopsticks without even bowing. However, Eunuch An, who was behind him, laughed and said, "The little prince has a very good appetite; he will surely grow taller tomorrow."
Shun Yuan loved it when people praised him for growing taller, and he immediately gave Eunuch An a cute smile. Emperor Xu Li sat down next to Ming Ruo, and Eunuch An very tactfully signaled all the palace servants present to leave, leaving only the family of three to enjoy their meal together in harmony.

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The Tale of the Imprisoned Consort - Chapter 200, I Heard

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